Top Vids of the Year 2025

Hobart Update

The Most Exciting Year of my Sailing Life!

I did not know that 2025 would be the sailing year it turned out to be. First off was a voyage from Singapore to Hong Kong with my wife and two longtime friends. A bit of Thailand was in there too. Then it was off to Bora Bora for a 7 day charter with my friend Barry. Amazing and so beautiful. In June, my wife and I hit Switzerland for a few days before taking off to Croatia for a 7 day charter. This was way over the top with a captain, chef and bartender. My favorite charter out of the 8 or so that I have done. The captain knew where to go and took care of all the details. The weather was delightful. In July, we headed to the Delta for a huge raft up loosly known as burning man on the water. I helped a friend get his new boat down to Ventura from SF in September. Another 10 day adventure. Then it was off to the Baja Haha. My 9th time with a rally from San Diego to Cabo on a 10 day jaunt down the coast. 100 boats and 400 like minded sailors. Mix all this in with over 120 days of sailing the SF Bay and you have a sailors dream. 2026 is looking good with a sojourn from Puerto Vallarta to Ztown for Guitarfest in March. I will be joining my Haha boat for that one. The highlight of the year will be a circumnavigation of New Zealand. Bridget and I will be on a comfy cruise ship for our December voyage. I hope to get down to St. Barts this year but no plan yet. My 40' Jeanneau continues to impress and keeps us safe on the bay. I love my boat! It's now time for you'all to start knocking off your sailing bucket list. Get your friends together and purchase a partner boat or plan a charter in an exotic place. We are not getting any younger! Happy New Year to all.

Sydney Hobart Start

I always like watching these 100 foot sleds take off out of the harbor on Boxing Day. Enjoy! The first iteration of this race was in 1945.

Tule Fog = Wind

The weather in Norcal has been unusual to say the least. The central valley has been stuck in tule fog hell for the past month. We had a wet November. December has seen no rain yet. These wet conditions are the perfect recipe for tule fog. I have been sailing about 7 times in December. Usually we go out in winds of 10 knots or less this time of year. I look forward to these mellow days on the SF Bay. This December, the fog has brought in winds of 15-20 every day. It has been amazing. We have rain and wind on the way so the fog will get pushed away. Those were some great days. Check out this cool vid about the fog.

Gitana 18 - The next gen of foiling

SF in the 1800's

Private Island Pops up in SF

On Friday night during the king tide (-2ft) a shoal appears outside our marina. The shoal is about 100 yards long and 40 feet wide. At the appropriate time, 100 folks showed up for a 3 hour fiesta on the shoal. Small boats of all kinds decended on the island. Four bonfires burned bright as folks cooked food, drank beer and wine. I have known about this event for a long time and for some reason never went. A few friends were going and that gave me some motovation. I anchored outside the channel and it took about 15 minutes to paddle in. I will find a shorter paddle next time. I arrived and the party was in full swing. In a few minutes, the full moon rose out of the drakness. I saw it first and yelled to the crowd, MOOON! Everyone started howling like wolves.

I ran into my friends and meet some cool new friends. After a few hours, I headed back to the boat for some dinner. I plan to go next month and bring a bunch of friends! Way too much fun.

Top 5 Boating Ads

SF weather: 60 Sunny, Winds 10-14.

You know the feeling!

An Amazing 14 Months of Sailing the World

I had no idea these last few months would be the ultimate sailing of my life. It started in September 2024. I met a guy on a beach who admired my sailboat and he later asked me to join him and his girlfriend in Greece for some sailing. Ah, but of course! Me and a sailing buddy joined them on the islands, 150 miles outside of Athens. It was glorious. 25 knot winds, a skipper who was good at med mooring and beautiful weather. In November, I joined a couple for the Baja Haha. My 8th voyage from San Diego to Cabo (750 Miles) along with 100 or more boats and 400 folks. Good times indeed. In the spring, a sailing buddy and I headed to Tahiti for a charter. Bora Bora never looked so good! In June of this year we did an over the top charter out of Split, Croatia. Four other couples that we have known for 40 years, joined us on a 62' cat with a captain, chef and bartender. It was the best charter I have ever experienced with visits to ancient villages, wine tasting and bike rides thru coastal towns. We did not have much wind but no one seemed to care. We were having too much fun! Next, we did a 10 day sail down the California coast and hitting the most iconic harbors on the west coast. Santa Barbara is always my favorite stop. Lastly, my 9th Baja Haha just finished up last week. I had a blast meeting the fleet and also made a new friend, Tim. He has a boat in my marina and I hope to sail with him on his boat next week. I don't think I will ever be able to top this period of my life from a sailing standpoint. Not to mention all my day sails (150 days) on the SF Bay and a week in the Delta on the water. So, you ask, what's next? I have some excellent adventures planed with my wife, Bridget. Back to the Adriatic for a cruise from Croatia to Venice. South Afica is coming up in the summer with my sister and her husband. And then a circumnavigation of New Zealand on a lovely cruise ship. NZ has been on my mind for about 40 years and I am really looking forward to visiting all the beautiful locations on our itinerary. From a sailing standpoit, I would love to get back to the West Indies and St. Barts. Thailand is a possibility as is another trip to Tahiti. I am approaching 70 years old and I want to do as much as I can before I can't. I have also thought about heading back to Zihuatanejo and the Guitarfest. That is coming up in March. One of the fun saying on my boat is, It doesn't get much better than this! However...it keeps getting better!!

The Ocean = Danger

The sea is a dangerous place. The perils of the sea include sharks, pirates, shipping containers floating just below the surface, gales, fire, rouge waves, food poisoning, infection, dismasting, hurricanes, sinking, rudder failure, scurvy, tsunamis, fog, dehydration, salt water crocs, anchor failure, water spouts, contaminated water, lightning, terrorists, fire, hypothermia, drowning, fishing nets, lee shores, whales, malaria, unlit fishing boats, strong currents, unmarked obstructions, reefs, large ships, sea sickness, mutiny, dismemberment, and death. Sailing requires a huge amount of luck as well as constant vigilance so that these issues donot happen. Safety first!

Found a Boat! Haha 31 was a Blast!

My friend Lisa was nice enough to pick me up at the airport and chauffeur me around San Diego over the weekend. We first hit the public dock on Shelter Island and knocked on hulls of about 12 boats. No luck but we met several very cool skippers. That evening, we went to see a friend of mine that was playing guitar and singing at an outdoor venue. Lots of Dead and Floyd. Nice. Back at the hotel for a swim and tub. Next morning we rented a boat to get out to the HaHa anchorage. Only one boat! We headed off to a nice restaurant for lunch. That afternoon, same friend had a his band covering Dead tunes at a brewery. I went alone and really enjoyed the show. My phone died and I had to get someone to call me an Uber. Sunday morning is the skippers meeting and a chance to get in front of all the skippers. The first order was to introduce all the folks looking for a ride. Lisa was first and gave the Poobah a big hug. I got on stage and announced to the crowd that I was a diesel mechanic, a gourmet chef, and a brilliant conversationalist. As i got off the stage, a skipper met me and and asked that i join his crew. Yeah! I found a boat for the ninth time in a row. Lisa got a ride too. The boat is a 45' Hardin ketch from the late 80's. There will be a crew of five and the skipper is off to sail the world. I plan to join the boat on Monday morning. The party was fun and I met some old friends. That night I went to the Little River band concert and loved it. Cool Change, a song about sailing was a highlight. Next morning I meet up with the boat and we take off. The boat comes in at 42,000 lbs. and is a 4 knot boat. We have abit over 300 miles to Turtle Bay. We motor for the first two days and then wind arrives on the 3rd day. Winds Are high 20's and the boat is cruising at 6 knots. We arrive about 7:30am and the anchor is down. We hit the small fishing village for some lunch and to meet other cruisers. It was a beautiful day and everyone was in a great mood. We headed back to the boat for some dinner and an awesome party that I arranged with another boat. About 50 folks come by to dance and socialize. The party is off the hook!. The next day was the softball game at the ball field. I ran into a bunch of folks that said Hi. I introduced myself to one cruiser and he happens to have a very active boat in my marina. We hit it off and it is always great to make a new friend (Tim). I headed back to the boat and picked up some tacos along the way. The beach party starts at noon and I take a panga over. It's just getting started and I grab a beer and guacamole. Lots of activity and of course my bocce balls are a big hit. My new friend Tim is there and we have some laughs. My crew alerts me we are departing the harbor in 30 minutes to get a jump ahead of the fleet. We have a 70 hour sail with some decent winds at 12-15 that get down the coast. We arrive mid day and anchor inside Santa Maria. There are only 3 boats anchored. I head to the bow and set up my hammock and some tunes for a relaxing sunset. Next morning it is a beautiful 68 degrees with brillant sunshine. I head over to see Tim and Lisa who ended up on the same boat. They have 8 on their 50' boat. Back to my boat for a nap and a swim to another boat for introductions. At 6pm we head over to a motor cruiser for another party aboard. Fish and steak are served and I run into a gal that I met on a Haha 10 years ago. Today we are headed for another beach party that features food and a rock band for dancing. Back from the party. We had a blast seeing old friends and making new ones. Tim has a boat in my marina and we are looking forward to getting together in the coming weeks. The band was great and the beers were cold. Next day, we took off at 3am to get an early start down the coast. Winds were light but built to the mid teens for most of the way to Cabo. The weather has been spectacular. We arrived in Cabo with no major issues. I checked into a hotel and the boat is anchored off the beach. Thanks to Jody our skipper and the rest of the crew on Elizabeth Heather. It was another fantastic Haha! By the way, they announced a new Poobah as Richard is retiring after 31 years. Thank you Richard for some great times coming down the baja coast!! Looking forward to Baja Haha 32!

Haha Here I Come!

This week I head to San Diego in an attempt to find a boat that will take me to Cabo San Lucas. The Baja Haha is in it's 31 year and is the largest sailing rally on the west coast. This will be my 9th Haha and 10th adventure down the Baja coast. The 750 mile voyage takes us to three anchorages for huge beach parties along the way. This year we have over 130 boats and 450 sailors. I will arrive Friday and attempt to find a ride. I knock on the hulls of the Haha boats and introduce myself to the skippers in hopes that a boat will need a third person on the crew. If that does not work, I head to the kick off party on Sunday and continue the hunt. The boats depart Monday for the 10 day trip. The first leg is about 350 nm to Turtle Bay. 200 nm takes us to Santa Maria. The last leg is 150 nm to Cabo San Lucas. Wish me a grand bon voyage!

I Don't Give a Shit!

What makes the waves at Nazare so big?

When I was a kid, surfing was just getting started. Endless Summer was released in 1966, the first major movie about surfing the coolest waves in the world. I spent many an hour at Indian River inlet (southern Delaware) growing up and getting to know waves that were at most 3 feet. After college in Las Vegas (1980), I moved to Northern California and the Bay Area. During the surf season, November thru April, the waves were big and powerful. The best waves were in Santa Cruz. My go to's were Steamers and Pleaure Point. Both offered great rights with long rides. My first tube was at Zuma Beach near Malibu. I dropped into a good size wave and it wrapped around my sholders and head while the green room opened up. They say getting tubed is like returning to the womb. However, this is a womb with a view!

Snowbirds Fly SF

Last weekend was Fleet Week in SF. Instead of the Blue Angels we got the Canadian Snowbirds air team due to the shutdown. They were amazing. Went both Friday and Saturday and got 15 folks to join over the 2 days.

Largest Wave Ever Surfed

Last winter Maverick's was going off. One lucky surfer caught a wave estimated at 108 feet. We are still waiting for the hieght to be confirmed. Cowabunga!

Message in a bottle

On this, my 1,335th day since I threw the lines, Left Los Angeles and my old life behind, I had a thought that made me laugh out loud: my original timeline for this trip. What I thought would be a small piece of my story turned into a saga stretching toward forever, and somehow that makes perfect sense. The daydreaming plan was simple: blast around the world nonstop — a “fast lap,” a one-and-done adventure I could tuck neatly onto my life résumé — and call it finished. Not careless, not clueless — just focused on the horizon like a horse with blinders, convinced the only prize was at the finish line. Six months to a year at sea, ignorant to any of the logistics. The charm of it was in its audacity — like deciding to sprint a marathon in flip-flops just to prove you could. Once I started digging into the details, though, my "fast lap” plan collapsed faster than a cheap beach chair. I wanted to actually see a bit of the world along the way — but like most humans my world geography skills were about as sharp as a soggy paper map. Fortunately, I stumbled into a pack of weather-worn, grinning sailors who’d already unlocked the secrets. They whipped out photos like smug magicians pulling rabbits out of hats — turquoise lagoons, volcano silhouettes, waterfalls draped like lace curtains. "I want to go there!" I shouted, jaw unhinged with envy. "Where is there?" And just like that, my world geography improved ten fold and my tidy six-month lap stretched into “two, maybe two and a half years,” and I couldn’t have been happier about it. Cut to Fiji six months later: I’d blasted through Mexico, French Polynesia, American Samoa, and Samoa, chest puffed with progress, with so many experiences behind me and beauty in the rearview, certain I was crushing it. But the chorus from every cockpit and anchorage I zipped through was deafening: slow down, this isn’t a race. I have since learned that “race” is a very subjective word out here. You’re skipping so much good stuff! So my plan mutated again, this time from my “augmented fast lap” to the more common “visa-burner plan.” Stay as long as the stamps allow. Wait for the right weather window. Dance between hurricane seasons like a kid dodging jump ropes on the playground. At three to four years, all of those factors somehow line up quite well. It keeps the boat moving at a good pace but with a ton of amazing stops along the way — like a playlist where every track is a hit. Now, after 28 countries and over 40,000 miles, about four years at sea, three oceans, and one big detour around Africa, I’ve collected a treasure chest of moments — some terrifying, most astonishing, all unforgettable. And here in Panama, I can see it clearly: there was never a finish-line race. This is the Lifetime Plan. The point is, some race it, some rally it, some drift into decades — and four years later, with a beard smelling like diesel and coconuts, I can tell you: it’s not just a journey, it’s a whole world within a world — and the absurdity of chasing it is exactly what makes it worth doing. If I were to give any advice to anyone plotting their own grand escape, it’d be this: plan the technical side like your life depends on it — because it does. Have your redundancies, your tools, your life jackets, your life rafts. That stuff matters. But when it comes to the trip itself? Let it breathe. Let it happen. Don’t strangle it with a schedule or script. Go here, go there, follow the wind, follow your gut. The magic of this whole thing isn’t in checking boxes — it’s in watching the story unfold in ways you could never have planned. Cheers, Brian

Delivery to Ventura

My friend Barry has fallen head over heels for sailing. He met up with us on our voyage to Mexico in 2018. We took him to Santa Cruz Island (off Santa Barbara) for a long weekend. Lots of highlights on one of my favorite islands. Then we chartered in La Paz, Mexico and Tahiti. He was hooked. He looked around for a suitable boat and deciided on a Catalina 36. He found a 2006 in Alameda. We waited a few months to get it to his home waters 300 miles south. We decided on late September. We took off on the 23rd of September and harbor hopped down the coast in calm and fogless coinditions. Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Monterey are all day sails with overnight stops in each port. Our first big hop was 90 miles to Morro Bay and our first overnigh sail on his boat. We arrived at sun up and spent the day at the Morro Yacht Club. Next morning we were off to Santa Barbara for another 100 mile overnight sail. As we were rounding Pt. Conception, we could see Vandenberg Airforce Base. Just for fun, I looked to see when the next Spacex lift off was. It was coming up in 30 minutes! We were 3 miles offshore when she took off, unload her payload and then landed on a barge for reuse. How cool was that? We made it into the Santa Barbara harbor about 10am the next morning. We love Santa Barbara and several friends visited. We went for a cool day sail the next day in 10 knot winds that was very relaxing. Barry is loving his new to him boat. The next day we were off to to his home port in Ventura. This is a huge marina. The next day we drove back to the bay after a very successful delivery. We saw some whales, lots of dolphins and 2 mermaids! Thanks to all of our visitors: Claire and Mark, Robin, Ricky and Cindy, Dan, Andy, Kendra and Joe.